ENCRYPTION TEMPLATE

Abstract: An encryption template (30) has a grid of permanent openings (40) thereon forming several arrays (48, 50, 52, 54) which are symmetrically located about an axis, and members (62) for selectively marking certain of the openings to be used for coding a message. The selective marking members (62) may be of type which are transferable between openings (40), or of a type that are permanently associated with each opening and movable between open and closed positions. The templates may be easily prepared for encryption purposes without requiring the use of any tool. Indicia (66) carried on the template and/or on the members facilitate the selection of the openings, whereby the template may be prepared for encryption without the prior preparation of a code table.

Description: ENCRYPTION TEMPLATE FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to improvements to relatively simple devices that may be used for writing coded messages and for decoding same. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In U.S. Patent 166,761 there is described an encryption apparatus which comprises a square board which is divided into an even number of columns and an equal number of rows to form a grid of squares. Openings are provided in one quarter of the squares, through each of which openings a character forming part of a message can be written. A board having a grid of squares constructed as above will have a rotational axis locating at the point of intersection of the bisectors of adjacent sides of the grid, which bisectors in effect divide the board into four notional quadrants. The position of the openings is selected so that if it is considered that the quadrants were independently rotatable about the notional axis so as to be superposed, no opening would coincide with any other opening. Otherwise expressed, the openings have a perfect rotational asymmetry on the board. The board is typically used by writing a character at a time through the openings, which in the illustrative example of the patent are one hundred and forty four in number. The board is then rotated about its rotational axis through ninety degrees (in the patent a locating holder being used) and the next group of one hundred and forty four characters are written, and so on until the board has been rotated through one complete revolution. The columns and rows of the board are each numbered sequentially, whereby the coordinates of any openings can be readily identified for future reference or for transmission to another person for use in decoding the message. The number of different combinations of openings is very high even where the grid of squares is relatively small, and considerable difficulty arises in ensuring the condition of perfect asymmetry of the location of the openings where this is attempted in a haphazard manner. Moreover, there is no provision for changing the location of the openings in a board. Additionally, the method requires the use of a tool for cutting openings in the board. In U.S. patent 156,851, there is described an encryption board which is generally of a similar nature to that described above but which includes indicia repeated in a rotationally symmetrical manner in each quadrant; the patentee also describes a method of selecting the position of openings that will ensure a perfect rotational asymmetry. The method involves making up a table, transferring information from the table to the board, and then cutting openings through the board. This method remains relatively time consuming, and does not avoid the use of a tool or permit the reuse of a board. It is not suited for use by children, and many adults might find the method to be intellectually challenging. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide encryption boards that may be set up without the use of any tool. It is another object of this invention to provide reusable encryption boards. It is yet another object of this invention to provide encryption boards that are easily set up for use, without necessitating the use of any table or other external aid. It is still another object of this invention to provide encryption boards of lesser complexity than those of the prior art, making them particularly suited for use by young children. It is a further object of this invention to provide encryption boards that are more amenable to having an attractive appearance, and/or which are more amenable to generating coded writings having an attractive appearance. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an encryption board has a grid of openings therethrough, each opening having a size to permit a writing instrument to be inserted therethrough for the purpose of writing a character onto an underlaying substrate. The openings are formed into N identical arrays, where N is a small integer not less than two, the grid having a geometric axis of rotation about which the arrays are perfectly symmetrical. Reusable means is provided selected from (a) means for independently selectively marking (N-l)/N of the openings through which a character is not to be written; (b) means for independently selectively marking 1/N of the openings through which a character is to be written; and (c) each of these selective marking means. The reusable marking means may suitably be in the form of small wafers or buttons that snap engage into the openings or associated structure provided on the board. Alternatively and preferably, the marking means may be in the form of a shutter associated with each opening and captured on the board, for movement between a first position in which an opening may be written through, and a second position indicative that the opening is not to be written through, and preferably blocking the opening. Suitably, the shutters may be captured to the board by a hinge, which conveniently may be parallel to the plane of the board or perpendicular thereto, or the shutters may slide along tracks. The provision of a permanent grid of openings in the board avoids the necessity of the user cutting the openings with a tool, and permits the re-use of the board with the reusable marking means to select and change at will any coding arrangement to which the board is amenable. Preferably, each opening in an array will be associated with an indicium to mark the position of the openings in that array. Suitably the indicia may comprise coordinates, or preferably, they may form an easily recognizable sequence, for example a numerical or alphabetical sequence. Also preferably, the indicia of any one array will be repeated in a rotationally symmetrical manner in each other array. As an alternative to indicia carried on the board for repeatedly marking the sequence of openings in each array, the means for marking the openings may carry such indicia, particularly where this means is captured on the board. Optionally, both the board and the means for marking the openings may carry indicia. Suitably, the board may include means for separately identifying each array, which means can be identical to the foregoing means for identifying the sequence of openings in the array or separate therefrom. Also suitably, the grid as a whole may have coordinates associated therewith to facilitate the re cord a I of the marked openings. The provision of these indicia, particularly where they form a numerical sequence, makes the encryption boards particularly easy to prepare for use. Such preparation can be accomplished in a semi-automatic manner without necessitating the use of any table or other external aide, as will be subsequently described in detail, making encryption boards of a simple nature amenable to use by small children and facilitating the use of more complex boards by adults. Where the number of arrays on the board is limited to two, the boards will be easier to prepare, and when prepared, easier to use than the boards of the prior art. The bi-symmetry of the grid of openings permits the openings to be disposed in simple, attractive shapes for young children such as hearts, or other common objects having a single plane of symmetry. However, it will be appreciated that the number of arrays in the grid is not limited to two or four, and grids wherein the openings form three, and five or more arrays are all possible to arrange, although the complexity of preparing and using the boards will increase as the number of arrays increases. Considering an encryption board having a square grid of six by six openings, these may be arranged to form four arrays each of nine openings. The openings of each array may be conveniently respectively numbered one through nine, the sequence of numbers in each array being repeated in a rotationally symmetric manner. Thus, if the numeral one marks an outside corner of one array, it will mark an outside corner of each other array. This means that, for example, by rotating the board so that each array successively locates with respect to an observer in the upper left hand quadrant, the numbering sequence of the array in that quadrant will always be identical. Where, in this example, the reusable means is for marking those openings through which a character will not be written, the twenty-seven members used therefor will comprise three groups of nine members, which may respectively carry the numbers one through nine. Where the reusable means is for marking those openings through which characters will be written, the means therefor will form one group of nine members, which may respectively carry the numbers one through nine. Assuming in this example that the members for marking these openings not to be used for writing characters and the members for marking those openings to be used for writing characters are both employed simultaneously, and that the four arrays of openings are differentiated by the letters A, B, C, and D, the members for marking the openings to be used may be initially located in array A, and the members to be used for marking the openings not to be used will correspondingly be initially located in each of the remaining arrays B, C and D. Where the marking members carry numbers carrying numerical indicia, they will be arranged sequentially in each array. In order to prepare the board for coding a message, it is merely necessary to exchange members from array A with members from arrays B, C and D, with the only proviso being that any two members being exchanged will locate in an opening having the same indicium, and this will automatically ensure that the perfect rotational asymmetry of the openings in the board selected for writing characters will be retained. In the foregoing example, the means for marking the openings through which a character is to be written will differ in nature to the means for marking the openings through which a character is not to be written, and the two means will be physically interchangeable on the board. Where a shutter is associated with each opening, such shutters will normally not be transferable between openings and each shutter will be identical to every other shutter other than where indicia relating to the position of the shutters in an array are marked on the shutters. The board of the foregoing example but using non-transferable shutters as the reusable marking means would be prepared by initially moving each shutter in array A to an open position, and moving each shutter in arrays B, C and D to a closed position. Subsequently, for any shutter moved to a closed position in array A, a shutter having the same indicium in any one of the arrays B, C and D will be moved to an open position. These foregoing objects and aspects of the invention, together with other objects, aspects and advantages thereof will be more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the following drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 - shows in plan view an encryption board in accordance with the invention; FIG. 2 - shows a cross section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 - shows in perspective view in enlarged scale a reusable member for marking openings that are selected to be not written through in the board of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 - is similar to FIG. 3 but shows a member for marking openings that are selected for writing through in the board of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 - shows the board of FIG. 1 with the members shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 located thereon; FIG. 6 - shows in plan view a second embodiment of the invention; FIG. 7 - shows in perspective view in enlarged scale a two part member for marking selected openings not to be written through in the board of FIG. 6; FIG. 8 - is similar to FIG. 7 but shows a one-part member; FIG. 9 - shows the board of FIG. 6 from the reverse face thereof, with indicia forming the grid of openings into two arrays with a rotational axis of symmetry perpendicular to the plane of the board; FIG. 10 - shows a modified version of the board of FIG. 9 with a mirror image symmetry of the arrays; FIG. 11 - shows a board with three arrays of openings; FIG. 12A - shows a corner fragment of a split board, in an open position, in perspective view; FIG. 12B - shows in plan view the fragment of FIG. A, in closed position; FIG. 12C - is a cross section on line 12C-12C of FIG. 12B; FIGS 13A-13C - are similar to FIGS. 12A to 12C respectively but using a shutter type reusable marking means; FIGS. 14A-14C - are similar to FIGS. 13A to 13C respectively but using a modified shutter arrangement; FIG. 15A - is a plan view of a corner portion of a board with a still further modified shutter arrangement; and FIG. 15B - is a cross section on line 15B-15B of FIG. 15A. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 - 5, an encryption board is identified by the number 30. Board 30 is subdivided by lands 32 to form rows 34 and columns 36 to form a grid of squares 38 each of which is provided with an opening 40 therethrough, the openings 40 each being marginally smaller than the squares 38 in which they locate so as to form a small ledge 44 surrounding each opening. The left hand land 32 is somewhat enlarged in width and carries grid coordinate reference indicia 46 thereon, comprising the letters A through F corresponding to each row. The uppermost land 32 is similarly enlarged and carries grid coordinate reference indicia thereon comprising the numerals one through six, also identified by the numeral 46, corresponding to each column, thereby permitting each square 48 to be identified and located by its coordinates. The grid of openings 40 comprises four identical arrays 48, 50, 52, 54 separated by lines 56, 58 which bisect the sides of board 30 and which serve to provide a visual demarcation between the arrays. A pivot point 60 locates on the underside of board 30 at the intersection of lines 56, 58. The openings 40 of three of the arrays, here 50, 52 and 54 are blocked by reusable marking means 62 in the form of square wafers 62 which are a push fit between the portions of lands 32 surrounding each square 38, and which are further supported by ledge 44. The openings 40 of array 48 are respectively numbered sequentially one through nine by indicia 66. Wafers 62 of each of arrays 50, 52, 54 are numbered one through nine thereon by indicia 68, and are inserted into board 30. The numerical sequence of indicia 66 is repeated at 80 in and each of arrays 50, 52, 54 in a rotationally symmetrical manner about pivot 60, which is to say that if board 30 is rotated about pivot point 60, the sequence of the indicia 80 of any array 50, 52, 54, will correspond to the sequence of indicia 66 when that array is moved to a position formerly occupied by array 48. The openings 40 of array 48 are partly restricted by modified wafers 74 which have a circular opening 76 therethrough, and which are respectively permanently inscribed at 78 by the numbers one through nine, and which are inserted into the squares of array 48 in the sequence of indicia 66. To use board 30, wafers 62 of any of the arrays 50, 52 and 54 are interchanged as desired with modified wafers 74 of array 48, the sole proviso being that the number inscribed on the wafer and modified wafer being interchanged is identical. This will automatically ensure that the perfect rotationally asymmetry of the openings 76 is retained so that when a message is encrypted by writing characters through openings 76, no character will over-write another character. It will be appreciated that advanced users of the board 30 will not require the presence of indicia 68 on wafers 62 or 74. Moreover, while the coordinates 46 facilitate the recordal of the positions of openings 76 on the board 30 for future reference or for transmission to another person desiring to decode the message, they are not entirely necessary when indicia 66 and 68 are inscribed on the board or the wafers. Following the positioning of openings 76 in board 30 in the foregoing manner, the board is used to encrypt a message in the same or similar manner as the abovementioned boards of the prior art, which is to say that in the present instance the first nine letters of a message to be encrypted are written sequentially through openings 76; the board is then rotated about its pivot point 60 through an angle of ninety degrees, and the next nine letters are encrypted, and so on until thirty six letters have been written. The board may then be moved to the right by one board width and another sequence of thirty six letters may be encrypted. Alternatively, the board may be moved by one half line so as to interlineate the next block of encrypted letters. Many variations of these procedures are possible so as to render decoding of the coded messages more difficult for persons unaware of the code sequence. In a second embodiment of the invention, a board 130 is provided with a grid of circular openings disposed in four identical arrays 148, 150, 152, 154 distinguished on the board by array marking letters A, B, C, D and by indicia 166 repeated in each array in a rotationally symmetric manner about pivot point 160. Three quarters of the openings 140 are blocked off by two part buttons 162, which parts are respectively provided with a post 163 and socket 165 which mate together through openings 140, it being understood that the arrangement is otherwise broadly of a comparable nature to board 30. A one part snap-in button 162a which may be used instead of the two part button 162 is illustrated in FIG. 8. As seen in FIG. 9, the encryption board 130 of FIG. 6 is provided on the reverse face 130R thereof with indicia 166R which group openings 140 into two identical arrays 149, 151 distinguished on the board by the letters Y and Z. Indicia 166R are repeated in a rotationally symmetrical manner in each half of board 130 about pivot point 160R. In this embodiment each opening 140 in array Y would initially be closed by a button 162 or 162a, while all openings in array Z would remain open. The board would be prepared for coding a message simply by transferring any button from array Y to a correspondingly numbered opening in array Z, thereby simplifying the preparation of the board and making it more amenable for use by young children. The simplification extends to the use of the board for encrypting messages and decoding encrypted messages, as it is only necessary to rotate the board once in order to write or read a block of characters, and also to the recordal of the code sequence of the board. A third embodiment of the invention, also suited for use by young children, is illustrated in FIG. 10 wherein the encryption board is identified by the numeral 230. Board 230 has a grid of openings 240 therein and indicia 266 which group the openings into two identical arrays 249, 251 on opposed halves of the board distinguished on the board by the letters A and B. Indicia 266 are arranged in mirror image manner about an axis 260, which is in the plane of board 230. Board 230 will be provided with reusable buttons 162 or 162a or the like which close each of the openings 240 in array A, while the openings in array B remain unclosed. The board 230 is prepared for coding purposes is the same manner as board 130R described above, but the transference of the reusable marking buttons between array A and array B is somewhat simplified in that the buttons are always moved along the same row. In using board 230, a first sequence of characters is written through the permitted ones of openings 240, following which the board 230 is flipped about axis 260 and the second sequence of characters is written. A still further embodiment is shown in FIG. 11, wherein the board is identified by the numeral 330, in which there are three arrays 347, 349 and 351 of openings 340 each of which is symmetrically arranged in a parallelogram formation about axis 360. Many other arrangements will occur to persons in the art. Any of the foregoing encryption boards may be modified so as to capture the reusable marking means of a transferable type on the board. In FIG. 12A there is shown a corner fragment of a board 430, which board comprises an upper part 430U and a lower part 430L joined together by a live hinge 429. The upper and lower parts are provided with openings 440U, 440L therethrough which are in register, whereby when the parts of the board are closed together, the openings will be disposed on a grid in analogous manner to the previously described boards of the invention. Lower board part 430L is provided in the upper surface thereof with shallow recesses 431 which respectively surround each opening 440. Reusable marking means comprising wafers 462 are locatable in recesses 431 to block desired ones of openings 440. When the wafers 462 are located in a desired position so as to provide a perfect asymmetry to board 430, the two halves 430L, 430U thereof are closed to capture the marking means. A plurality of pegs 453 are downwardly disposed from upper half 430U around the perimeter thereof, and corresponding openings 455 are provided within which respective pegs are releasable receivable to retain the board halves in their closed position. The code sequence of board 430 is rearranged by opening the board and moving wafers 462 as desired to select new openings. Where the reusable marking means is in the form of shutters, these may be permanently captured on the board so as to be non-transferable. One embodiment of this is illustrated in FIG. 13A, wherein the lower half 530L of a split board 530 similar to board 430 is provided with shallow, elongated recesses 531 which respectively intersect each opening 540L. Within each recess 531 there is disposed a shutter 562 which is slidable along the recess between a forward position in which an associated opening 540L is closed and a rearward position in which an associated opening is not closed. Each shutter 562 is provided with a tail portion 535 having a small opening 537 therethrough. Upper board part 530U is provided with a plurality of narrow, elongated slots 539 respectively associated with openings 540U and disposed such that when the upper and lower parts of board 530 are closed, slot 539 will provide access to opening 537 irrespective of the position of shutter 562 within its recess 531. A small raised lip 551 is associated with each recess 531 disposed marginally forwardly of a shutter 562 when in its rearward position. When shutters 562 are assembled within recesses 531, the two halves of board 530 are permanently closed together in register, which is facilitated by closure pegs 553 and openings 555. Shutters 562 are conveniently moved between their first and second positions by engaging, for example, a pencil point passing through slot 539 into small opening 537, and moving the pencil point along the slot to move shutter 562 therewith to its desired position to open or close an opening 530, raised lip 551 serving to retain the shutter in its selected position. The use of board 530 is wholly analogous to the earlier described boards of the invention; conveniently, the board will be initially arranged with each shutter 562 associated with each opening 540 of a first array in its rearward, open position, and each shutter associated with each opening of every other array in its forward, closed position, following which a selected shutter in the first array would be closed and a corresponding shutter in any other array would be opened, similar to the exchange of wafers 62 and 74 described in relation to the first embodiment. A minor variation of the shutter arrangement of FIG 13A is illustrated in FIG. 14A wherein a board 630 is provided with shutters 662 that are connected to the board by hinge pins 655 so as to be movable when the shutters are engaged with a pencil point inserted through slot 639 in a plane parallel to that of the board. A still further variation of the shutter arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 15A, where a board 730 is provided with shallow elongated recesses 731 in the upper surface thereof which respectively intersect openings 740. Board 730 is provided with flap like shutters 762 which are unitarily formed with the board and which connect thereto by a live hinge 755 parallel to the plane of the board. Flap like shutters 762 are swingable about an arc 757 between a first position wherein they are received in an associated recess 731 in a position wherein an associated opening 740 is uncovered, and a second position wherein they are respectively received in recess 731 wherein the associated opening is covered. A small opening 777 is disposed adjacent each opening 740 to intersect with recess 731, to permit a pointed object such as a pencil inserted through opening 777 from the underside of board 730 to push a shutter 762 when in its open position, from recess 731. The foregoing embodiment of the invention are intended to be exemplary of the many different constructions in which the invention may be embodied, and are not to be taken as limitative of the broad aspect of the invention.

Claims: I CLAIM: 1. An encryption board having a grid of openings therethrough, each said opening having a size to permit a writing instrument to be inserted therethrough for the purpose of writing a character on to an underlaying substrate; said openings forming N identical arrays, where N is a small integer not less than two, said grid having an axis about which said arrays are perfectly symmetrical, and reusable means selected from the group consisting of (a) means for independently selectively marking (N-l)/N of said openings for not writing therethrough; (b) means for independently selectively marking 1/N of said openings for writing therethrough; and (c) both of said means (a) and (b). 2. An encryption board as defined in Claim 1, wherein N is selected from 2, 3 and 4. 3. An encryption board as defined n Claim 1, wherein said reusable means for independently marking 1/N of said openings serves to partially close such openings. 4. An encryption board as defined in Claim 1, wherein said reusable means comprises both said marking means. 5. An encryption board as defined in Claim 1 wherein said board comprises an upper part and a lower part and wherein said reusable means is captured between said parts. 6. An encryption board as defined in Claim 1 wherein said reusable means comprises each of means (a) and (b) and is in the form of a shutter associated with each said opening for independent movement between a first position closing a said opening and a second position in which a said opening is unclosed. 7. An encryption board as defined in Claim 1 wherein said reusable means are captured by the board in a manner so as not to be transferable between said openings. 8. An encryption board as defined in Claim 7 wherein said board comprises an upper part and a lower part and said reusable means are captured between said parts. 9. An encryption board as defined in Claim 7 wherein said reusable means are connected to an outer surface of said board by a hinge. 10. An encryption board as defined in Claim 9 wherein said hinge is a live hinge. 11. An encryption board as defined in Claim 5 or 8 wherein said upper part and said lower part of said board are interconnected by a live hinge. 12. An encryption board as defined in any one of Claims 1 - 11 wherein each said opening in each of said arrays is identified by an indicium. 13. An encryption board as defined in any one of Claims 1 - 11 wherein all of the openings in one of said arrays have serially arranged indicia respectively associated therewith indicative of the position of said opening in such array. 14. An encryption board as defined in Claim 13 wherein said serially arranged indicia are repeated in a symmetric manner about said geometric axis in each other array. 15. An encryption board as defined in Claim 13 wherein N is equal to two and said axis is in the plane of the board. 16. An encryption board as defined in Claim 13 wherein N is equal to two and said axis is at right angles to the plane of the board. 17. An encryption board as defined in Claim 13 wherein said indicia differ on opposite faces of the board. 18. An encryption board as defined in Claim 13 wherein N is equal to three. 19. An encryption board as defined in Claim 13 wherein N is equal to four.

Inventors: ROTH GERA J, ROTH, GERA, J.
Applicants: 998358 ONTARIO INC DOING BUSIN, ROTH GERA J, 998358 ONTARIO INC. DOING BUSINESS AS ROTOCODE INT, ROTH, GERA, J.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G09C5
IPC codes: G09C1